


Five

by thatsoccercoach



Series: Which Door? (Fluffy Fraser Fics) [73]
Category: Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: And a couple lines from canon, F/M, Family, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 12:13:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20275738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatsoccercoach/pseuds/thatsoccercoach
Summary: Claire has been dealing with something. It's time to tackle the...issue...head-on!





	Five

Five. Such a small number in the large scheme of things, yet one that was causing her a great deal of frustration at the moment. Five pounds. That was approximately one third a stone. Just over two kilograms. It shouldn’t have been the source of so much frustration. 

After Faith had been born, she’d shed any excess weight quite quickly. She hardly gained any at all to begin with ( _ bloody morning sickness _ ) and it came off with hardly any effort on her part. When Brianna was born, she had worked hard to get back to her pre-pregnancy weight but had done so quickly. Not  _ easily _ , but quickly nonetheless. But the twins were two now and she’d had plenty of time to make this happen. She was in med school, they were done having children, it was time. 

It was past time, actually.

She stared determinedly at the glass of green miracle juice that sat on the counter in front of her. She was a medical professional and yet, here she stood, trusting her well-being to a glass of juice. Granted, Jenny was the one who had gotten into juicing recently. But she promised that  _ this one  _ would bring about results.

“What is that, Mama?” asked Faith inquisitively, peering at the glass and its contents.

“Just some juice Mama is going to drink,” she sighed, still looking at it as if it would become more appetizing after being stared at. Maybe it was possible to burn calories by staring hard enough?

“May I try?” her delicate eyebrows raised when she asked and Brianna scampered over from across the kitchen, her ever-present food-radar on high alert.

Claire slid the glass to her oldest who took a sip, made a face, and gingerly slid the glass back to its original position.

“Tastes a bit like dirt,” she explained. “ _ Not  _ that it’s a bad thing if that’s what you like,” she continued, trying her hardest not to be insulting all while being obviously disgusted.

“If you _like _eating things like dirt,” Bree repeated, circling the island and watching the glass as if it were about to attack.

Claire sighed internally.  _ How in the world did one explain this in a healthy way to her young daughters?  _

A million and one articles from medical journals detailing body image issues in young girls floated to the surface of her mind. Research detailing body image issues that  _ she  _ might be dealing with came up too. She sighed. This was  _ not  _ the time. These were her children and she knew how to handle this.

“Well, I haven’t been eating or exercising in a way that is good for my body. So now I am going to  _ really  _ work on doing my best to be the healthiest I can be,” she attempted her first explanation at the process. 

“We think you’re just right already, Mama!” Faith clapped her little hands together for emphasis and Willa and Fergus stopped building their block towers to clap as well, blissfully unaware of the reason. 

“Da thinks you’re perfect,” Bree stated, a look on her face so reminiscent of Jamie that Claire couldn’t help but laugh.

It was most certainly true that Jamie didn’t mind things the way they were. Not at all. Just that morning as she had been scowling at the tightness of her jeans through her hips and thighs, he had been sitting on their bed, naked, staring at her.

_ “What are you doing?” she demanded harshly, sliding the jeans off and grabbing an old pair of leggings (overly-stretched in a few spots and possessing a hole near the ankle) that had seen better days. _

_ “Watchin’ my wife,” he answered calmly. “And I like what I see.” His eyebrows raised and his voice oozed innuendo that she absolutely was  _ not  _ prepared to handle at the moment. _

_ "Well, don’t get used to seeing this.  _ This, _ ” she gestured madly, first to her arse, then her breasts, then poked a thigh that was decidedly less toned than it had been previously. “I’m going to lose this weight.” _

_ "Sorcha,” he said it and only a second later he was right beside her. “I mean it, wha’ I said. Liking it.” His hands found her breasts and a squeak exited her mouth before she could stop herself. _

_ “Don’t tease, Jamie,” she rolled her eyes and shoved him away, playfully. _

_ “I’m no’ teasin’. You’ve said it afore, ‘five pounds to be rid of.’ But I  _ like  _ it. I like it fine.”  _

_ This time he pulled her flush to him, hands on her arse and, face to face, bodies pressed close and...oh...he  _ did  _ like it fine. _

She flushed with the memory of what had unfolded thereafter.

“Ah, yes,” she cleared her throat. “Your Da and I both love and accept one another for who we are, but we both also try to help each other be the best we can be. So,” she continued. “I’m going to eat healthy and get back into running once in a while.”

“So you can be healthier and better?” Faith asked. “Even if you’re already good?”

“So I can be healthier,” she nodded. 

“Why do you need to drink dirt juice though?” Bree asked, skepticism coloring her tone. 

“Well  _ this  _ one,” she slid the glass across the counter again and the three of them leveled their eyes with the drink. “This has lots of vitamins and antioxidants.”

The little Frasers continued to stare.

“Maybe,” suggested Faith. “Bree and I can ride our bikes and you can put Willa and Gus in the pushchair and then you can walk.” She shrugged.

“Because exercise is healthy,” explained Brianna, as if she were sharing entirely new information. “And maybe, Mama, don’t drink the dirt juice,” she added.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks, as always, to @happytoobserve for her help and feedback <3
> 
> We've a couple more one-shots in this "world" before we head on over to another fic!!!


End file.
